Such a panel or such a part could more specifically be used in the aeronautics field, in particular for making an aircraft wall, for instance, of a transport airplane, and more specifically a part of the fuselage thereof.
It is known that, in the aeronautics field, a more and more significant part of usual metal components tend to be replaced with composite components, as a result of the advantages thereof, including more specifically:
a gain of mass; and
good mechanical properties.
Composite components also have other advantages, and in particular a lack of corrosion and a good fatigue behaviour.
As known, an aircraft is provided with a large number of electric cables, being, for example, fastened to the walls of the aircraft or arranged in the vicinity thereof. Thus, should a protective sheath be worn out or upon a breaking of such cable, a short-circuit may occur with a direct contact between the electric conductor of the cable and the composite panel or wall located in the vicinity.
The electric current being then injected into the composite material could result in a rise of temperature in the material. One of the worsening parameters related to the occurrence of such phenomena is linked to the distribution of the flow of electric current in the composite material. Indeed, the resin between the carbon fiber layers, forming the matrix of the composite material, electrically insulates those layers one from the others. A high local density of electric current is created at the contact level of the cable with the panel, which can cause a fast and significant increase of the temperature.
A similar situation could occur when an aircraft is struck by lightning at the level of a component of the fuselage, made in a composite material.
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite component comprising superimposed layers of electrically conductive fibers, more specifically carbon fibers, embedded into an electrically insulating matrix, to able to obtain a component adapted to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.